Mail box



July 8, 1947. s. J. TRAVIS 2,423,532

MAIL BOX Filed Jan. 7, 1946 I www '3mm Patented July 8, 12947 UNITED STATES PENT OFFCE MAIL BOX Stella J. Travis, Spirit Lake, Iowa Application January 7, 1946, Serial No. 639,494

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements and structural refinements in mail boxes, and applies particularly to those which are usually mounted on walls of houses or secured to the outside of oice doors and the like. Conventional boxes used for this purpose customarily assume the form of relatively shallow receptacles, having considerable vertical depth in order to accommodate the long, business style of envelopes. The removal of mail is usually a difficult and an awkward task, since the cross-section of such receptacles does not permit the convenient insertion of a persons hand.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a device of the character herein described, in which the opening of the box will automatically expose the mail therein for convenient removal.

A further object of Ithe invention is to provide a mail box which will automatically remain open while the mail is being inserted or removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a inail box which, in addition to holding letters, will also accommodate newspapers, magazines, and other larger articles of simil-ar nature.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a mail box in which the mail will be adequately protected from the harmful effectsI of weather.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mail box which is of simple construction and of pleasing appearance.

With the above more important objects in View, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, `the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of perm as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the invention, showing the box in the closed position.

Figure 2 is the front elevation o-f the same, but illustrating the box in the open position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the box shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the mail receptacle per se.

Figure 5 is an underside plan view of the cover associated with the receptacle, the view being taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an underside plan view of the mail box illustrated in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

3 Claims. (Cl. 5632-17) Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention comprises an open-ended, elongated casing I, consisting of a three-sided jacket 2 a fiat mounting plate 3. The sides of the jacket 2 are provided along their longitudinal edges with outwardly extending flanges I and a plurality of :coinciding apertures are formed in these flanges and in the plate 3 toaccommodate the bolts 5. The latter serves the double purpose of holding the jacket 2 to the plate 3 and for securing the casing l, thus formed, in a vertical position upon la suitable wall or a door A mail receptacle Si is slidably positioned inside the casing I, and consists of a plate forming the back wall 9, and having a pair of inturned flanges I@ forni-.ed along the lateral sides thereof. The receptacle bottom II is formed integrally with and at the lower end of the wall il, whereupon the plate is angulated upwardly tol provide a relatively short front wall l2. The plate forming the wall l2 and the associated components t and i I is of temper material, so as to possess resilient qualities when inserted into the casing I as indicated by the lines I3.

The upper edge of the wall I2 is arcuated outwardly as shown at Inl, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The upper end l5 of the wall 9 is angulated inwardly as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawings, and carries an inclined cover I6. The latter is secured to the end Iii by means of the bolts Il passing through suitable apertures provided therein, and a bracing rib I8, extending between the cover and the back Wall 9 is employed in order to sustain rigidity. One end of this rib has a suitable aperture formed therein to receive one of the bolts Il, while the remaining end I9 thereof is tacked, welded or otherwise suitably secured to the Wall 9.

The side edges 2G of the cover I6 are downwardly inclined to exclude Weather from the casing I, and the front edge 2l thereof is similarly inclined and doubled under itself as shown in the accompanying Figure 4, to form a handle for sliding the associated receptacle 8.

When the invention is placed in operation, the receptacle 8 is drawn upwardly inside the casing I by means of the handle 2| until the edge I4 of the resilientI wall IZ reaches the upper end 22 of the jacket 2. The edge Id will then spring outwardly over the edge of the jacket as is best illustrated in the accompanying Figure 3, and the receptacle 8 will thus be held in the open position. Letters may now .be readily and conveniently inserted or removed from the receptacle since the bottom Il thereof has been raised to an easily accessible level.

When closing the mail box, the handle 2l is drawn downwardly and the upper end 22 of the jacket 2 will bear against the arcuated edge I4 and will force the same inwardly into the interior of the casing I. Thereupon the receptacle 8 may be pushed downwardly to its normal closed position.

The mail box constructed in accordance with this invention may also be used for receiving newspapers, magazines and the like, by placing the same between the upper end of the jacket 2 and the lower edges of the flanges 2l] and by sliding the receptacle 8 inwardly until the newspaper, etc., is rrnly held in position thereby.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will `be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the saine is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit o the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A mail box comprising, in combination, an elongated casing open at the upper and lower ends thereof, said easing being vertically disposed and having an essentially rectangular cross-sectional conguration, a mail receptacle slidable in said casing, said receptacle comprising, an eiongated back wall having inturned flanges along the top and the side edges thereof, a bottom extending from the lower edge of said back wall, a cover provided with downwardly inclined flanges along the front and side edges thereof, said cover being secured to said top` inturned flange or said back wall and normally closing the upper end of said casing, a bracing rib extending between said back wall and said cover, the front flange of said cover forming a handle, a relatively short iront wall extending from the front edge of said bottom, and an outturned edge at the upper end of said iront wall, said front wall having resilient qualities inherent therein and bearing against the inside of said casing, said outturned edge being engageable with the upper end of said casing and holding said receptacle in a partially withdrawn position.

2. A mail box comprising in combination, an elongated, vertically disposed casing open at the upper and lower ends thereof, a mail receptacle slidable in said casing, said receptacle comprising an elongated back wall having a bottom extending forwardly from the lower edge thereof, a cover secured to the upper end of said back wall, downturned flanges at the front and side edges of said cover, said cover normally closing the upper end of said casing, a relatively short front wall extending from the front edge of said bottom, and an out-turned edge at the upper end of said front wall, said front wall having resilient qualities and bearing against the inside of said casing, said out-turned edge being engageable with the upper edge of said casing and thereby releasably holding said receptacle in a partially withdrawn position.

3. A mail box comprising in combination, an elongated, vertically disposed casing including a three-sided jacket and a dat mounting plate, the opposite sides of said jacket having out-turned marginal anges at the longitudinal edges thereoiyfastening means for siinuitaneously securing said fdanges to said plate and said plate to Supporting structure, a mail receptacle siidabie in said casing, said receptacle comprising an elongated back wall having a bottom extending forwardly from the lower edge thereof, a cover secured to the upper end of said back wali, downturned edge portions at the iront and sides of said cover, said coverl normally closing the upper end of said casing, a relatively short front wall extending frorn the front edge of said bottom, and out-turned edge at the upper end of said front wall, said front wall having resilient qualities and bearing against the inside of said casing, said outturned edge being engageable with the upper edge of said casing and thereby holding said receptacle in a partially withdrawn position.

STELLA J. TRAVIS.

REFERENCES @FEED rEhe following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED PATENTS Number Name .Date

1,776,243 Andrassy Sept. 23, 1930 1,482,459 Cahan Feb. 5, 'i924 

